All Blog Posts Tagged 'Systems' - Home Energy Pros2016-12-10T03:13:22Zhttp://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profiles/blog/feed?tag=Systems&xn_auth=no7 Safety Tips for Home Heating Systemstag:homeenergypros.lbl.gov,2015-10-29:6069565:BlogPost:1910072015-10-29T12:12:46.000ZSmithWatsonhttp://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profile/SmithWatson689
<p>It's quite impossible to survive during those chilly winter nights without a proper home heating system. After all, this is what keeps you comfortable during those days when the temperature takes a dip. Quite unfortunately, most of the home fires occur due to malfunctioning of the heating systems. At times, this also occurs due to a fire triggered by a heating system that hasn’t been maintained properly. This is why it's advisable to keep the home heating system in a sound condition, in…</p>
<p>It's quite impossible to survive during those chilly winter nights without a proper home heating system. After all, this is what keeps you comfortable during those days when the temperature takes a dip. Quite unfortunately, most of the home fires occur due to malfunctioning of the heating systems. At times, this also occurs due to a fire triggered by a heating system that hasn’t been maintained properly. This is why it's advisable to keep the home heating system in a sound condition, in addition to following proper <a href="http://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profiles/blogs/dealing-with-the-5-most-common-furnace-and-heating-problems">safety and maintenance tips</a>. Here are certain easy to follow safety tips keeping, which when kept in mind, will help you to ensure a secure environment for your family members and maintain home safety without any problem -</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/4bIsJDjFjL4IYLxuitmPO7cFO-GUP*jKS*-GWxC-*I6n64RkxoWuqbhNnibo2k3Xzke6QQu1uX3jl4ar9qkfIWBdxgJWKcwo/ImageDraftyhomeStockimage2011MKT.jpg"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/4bIsJDjFjL4IYLxuitmPO7cFO-GUP*jKS*-GWxC-*I6n64RkxoWuqbhNnibo2k3Xzke6QQu1uX3jl4ar9qkfIWBdxgJWKcwo/ImageDraftyhomeStockimage2011MKT.jpg?width=750" width="750"/></a></p>
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<li><b>Have Your Furnace Checked</b> – Make sure you contact a professional heating contractor to get your furnace checked thoroughly, at frequent intervals. Doing this will allow you to have some peace of mind regarding the efficiency of the heating system. If you are based in Colorado, there is no reason to worry since you can easily find a reliable and reputed <a href="http://rbm-hvac.com/hvac-service-englewood/">local HVAC contractor</a> in your area. Be sure to explain the exact problems to the professional, if there are any. This will help him solve the problems better and faster.</li>
<li><b>Clear the Furnace and Vents</b> – Make sure there are no rags, old newspapers, cardboard boxes or any other kind of flammable materials near the heating system before you start any repairing activities. You should also clean the vents thoroughly. If the ventilation system of the heating unit is not maintained properly or the airway is blocked, the furnace can cause a large blaze, leading to a dangerous situation. Make sure any kind of object, which is flammable, is kept at least three feet away from all the different heating equipment that you have at home. This includes furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves and space heaters.</li>
<li><b>Clean the Chimney</b> – If the heating system at your place has a chimney, make sure it's thoroughly cleaned at least once a year. If it's not in regular use, there are high chances that you suddenly discover a small animal, with its nest, residing in your chimney. If you think that it's not possible for you to check the chimney on your own, consider getting in touch with a heating contractor, who has experience of cleaning chimneys thoroughly. However, be sure to clean the chimney before you use it for the first time this winter.</li>
<li><b>Turn Portable Heaters Off</b> – Be sure to turn off the portable heaters before going to sleep or going out. It doesn't really make sense to keep the heater on when you are not indoors. At the same time, you won't be able to notice if there is a fire hazard when you are sleeping. Make sure you use the home heating systems properly and turn those off when these are not being monitored. This will help you ensure complete security for your home. <a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/4bIsJDjFjL7*5ATR8XRITN3Av1D2zvYJckdTX*a0wFLaCrmravAAgD0ukWwy9n5bnAEsHBhwQ4tedU4fL6O0k0xqS5lbGIrR/Logohomesafehome.gif"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/4bIsJDjFjL7*5ATR8XRITN3Av1D2zvYJckdTX*a0wFLaCrmravAAgD0ukWwy9n5bnAEsHBhwQ4tedU4fL6O0k0xqS5lbGIrR/Logohomesafehome.gif" width="240"/></a></li>
<li><b>Follow General Heating Safety Rules</b> – Apart from keeping the home heating system in a sound condition, it's also essential to follow some <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/features/winterweather/">general heating safety rules</a>. For instance, you should never use an oven to heat your home. Also, be sure to use the correct fuel, which has been specified by the manufacturer, in case you are using a fuel burning space heater. You should also test the smoke alarms at frequent intervals.</li>
<li><b>Follow the Safety Tips for Heating Equipment–</b> Consider contacting a qualified heating contractor for installing the stationary space heating equipment or the central heating equipment. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions while installing a wood burning stove. Make sure you keep the portable generators away from your house in order to avoid accidents.</li>
<li><b>Follow the Fireplace Safety Tips –</b> Be sure to follow the fireplace safety tips thoroughly. Keep a sturdy screen in front of the fireplace so that the sparks don't flow into the living room. If you are planning to put the fire ashes into a covered metal container, be sure to cool it properly. Don't put these ashes into a plastic container. Also, keep these ashes at a safe distance from your home.</li>
<li><b>Change Your Smoke Detector Batteries</b> – If there is a smoke detector in your heating system, be sure to change the batteries at frequent intervals, ideally twice a year. If you have not been doing this consistently, do it before turning on the furnace for the first time. You should remember that heating equipment fires often happen to be one of the most common causes of home fires. If you change the batteries of the smoke detector, it will function properly and all your family members will be notified as soon a fire occurs.</li>
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<p>These are the most important safety tips that you should follow in order to ensure home safety.</p>Infrared (Thermal) Imaging Detects Radiant Ice Melt Systemstag:homeenergypros.lbl.gov,2010-11-07:6069565:BlogPost:25402010-11-07T22:00:00.000ZDavid Valleyhttp://homeenergypros.lbl.gov/profile/DavidValley
<p id="center" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="radiant ice and snow melt pipe detection" border="0" hspace="0" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/radiant_ice_and_snow_melt_detection.jpg"></img></p>
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<p>Ice and snow melt systems are utilized in many applications throughout the state of Massachusetts. Business owners utilize snow and ice melt systems in outdoor malls, parking lots, car washes, walkways, and loading ramps to eliminate the expense of continuous snowplowing, to avoid skidding of vehicles and to prevent slip-and-fall accidents on their property.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="radiant ice and snow melt pipe detection" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/radiant_ice_and_snow_melt_detection.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p>Ice and snow melt systems are utilized in many applications throughout the state of Massachusetts. Business owners utilize snow and ice melt systems in outdoor malls, parking lots, car washes, walkways, and loading ramps to eliminate the expense of continuous snowplowing, to avoid skidding of vehicles and to prevent slip-and-fall accidents on their property.</p>
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<p>As a convenience, homeowners of upper-end homes install ice and snow melt heating systems in their exterior slabs...including driveways, sidewalks, stairs, and patios to completely eliminate the need for any back breaking shoveling or snow removal.</p>
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<p>There are two types of ice and snow melt systems in Massachusetts --- embedded electric heat cables and hydronic piping. In my experience most of the ice and snow melt systems in Massachusetts are predominately hydronic systems. This is basically a closed-loop tubing made of a flexible polymer (typically a cross-linked polyethylene) or a synthetic rubber that circulates a mixture of hot water and propylene glycol (antifreeze), much like the mixture used in an automobile radiator. A boiler will warm the fluid to temperatures of 140 to 180 F. which will provide sufficient heat throughout an exterior surface for melting any snow that may have the ability to accumulate. The concealed ice melt tubing ranges in diameter from 1/2 to 3/4 inch and is flexible enough to bend into various spiral or serpentine patterns (as seen in my infrared images below) to allow for an even heat distribution and warm up any exterior surface.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="snow_and_ice_melt_piping" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/snow_and_ice_melt_piping.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p>These in-slab snow melt systems are designed to have a long service life, but everyone knows that continuous use of any material will not last forever. When these embedded systems do fail, a plumbing repair is imminent. The problem with repairing this system is that the heating elements are completely embedded, and any repairs that need to take place are very difficult because the concrete around the damaged section of the embedded piping must be removed first. Locating and pinpointing the exact area of a rupture in any large ice and snow melt system is completely impossible with a visual inspection, so detecting the exact trouble spot is where Thermal Imaging comes into play.</p>
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<p>A rupture in concealed hydronic tubing can easily be detected with a simple Infrared (Thermal) scan. There’s no guesswork involved. I simply pan the entire snow and ice melt surface with my infrared camera and it enables me to clearly detect every embedded heat pipe within minutes of heating up the system. If there are any ruptures, breaks or leaks in the concealed piping system, it will clearly show up as an anomaly and this defective area can now be marked out with a marking spray paint (that is temporary) with precision. This area of concern can now be carefully excavated (attempting to avoid damaging the existing piping) and properly repaired and then the surface can be re-patched. Infrared detection can keep all of your repair work down to a bare minimum.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="infrared line" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/infrared_line.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><font color="#990099"><b>A Massachusetts automobile dealership had a major leak in their ice and snow melt system, but was unable to pinpoint the concealed pipe leak visually.</b></font></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><font color="#990099"><b>My infrared scan detects the exact area of the ruptured pipe within minutes.</b></font></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="ice melt pipe detection" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/ice_melt_detection.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="infrared line" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/infrared_line.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><font color="#990099"><b>Infrared imaging allows me to detect the exact area of a pipe burst in this radiant ice and snow melt system.</b></font></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="buried pipe leak detection" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/buried_pipe_leak_detection.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="infrared line" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/infrared_line.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><font color="#990099"><b>An automatic car wash (installed right above an ice and snow melt system) had to be replaced without disturbing the concealed radiant heat piping.</b></font></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="radiant piping at car wash" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/radiant_piping_car_wash1.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" id="center"><font color="#990099">My infrared scan made this heavy duty machinery replacement possible without disturbing the heat pipes embedded in the concrete floor below it. A temporary orange marking paint was utilized to identify all concealed pipe locations and used as a guideline to install the new automatic car wash.</font> <font color="#990099">You can clearly see that embedded ice melt piping will never be straight.</font></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="car wash radiant piping" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/radiant_piping_car_wash.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="infrared line" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/infrared_line.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><font color="#990099"><b>Thermal imaging allows me to easily detect and pinpoint the exact location of the main supply line for this radiant ice and snow melt system.</b></font></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="embedded pipe detection" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/embedded_pipe_detection.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="infrared line" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/infrared_line.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><font color="#990099"><b>Another automatic car wash upgrade requires infrared scanning in order to detect the exact location of all embedded piping. You can clearly see how these buried pipes will not remain perfectly straight when contractors pour concrete over them. Note the two foot void on the left.</b></font></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="ice melt pipe detection" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/car_wash.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="infrared line" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/infrared_line.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><font color="#990099"><b>This is another car wash with a radiant ice melt system that had failed. You can clearly see the bright yellow area where the embedded piping has failed.</b></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="ice melt pipe repair" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/ice_melt_detection1.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><font color="#990099"><b>The concrete floor was then breached and a Plumber successfully repaired the damaged pipe without having to tear up the entire car wash bay.</b></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="ice melt pipe detection" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/radiant_heat_repair.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><img alt="infrared line" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/infrared_line.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><font color="#990099"><b>Another embedded pipe that has failed. This leak is easily detected by the bright yellow mass on the infrared image.</b></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="ice melt pipe leak" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/ice_melt.jpg" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;" id="center"><font color="#990099"><b>After breaching this floor, the leaking pipe was obvious.</b></font></p>
<p id="center"><img class="align-center" alt="ice melt pipe leaking" src="http://www.massinfrared.com/files/ice_melt_leaking.JPG" border="0" hspace="0"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">If you are interested in locating (pinpointing) radiant heat piping in Massachusetts or Southeastern New Hampshire, I can be contacted <a href="http://www.massinfrared.com/?D=5">HERE.</a></p>